l i é te;
B f j i . { j ;
É
Length, 1 foot 5-^ in c h e s; bill from gape, 11 lin e s;
wings 10^ inches ; tarsi 24 inches.
Length of female, I foot 7^ in c h e s; b ill from gape,
15 lines ; wings 1 1 | inches ; tarsi 2 | inches.
Forster’s specimens were taken in Queen Charlotte’s
South Island.
Family, S t b ig i d æ .
Subfamily 1. Surninæ.
A t h e n e N o væ S e e l a n d i .e .
Sound and Dusky B a y : according to him, the young is
called Kari-area. T h e native names of Kahu and Kauaua
S tn x fulva, Foist. Descr. Anim. p . 71, e t Icon. ined. 39.
New Zea land Owl, L a th . Gen. S yn. Suppl. 48.
are also referred to this bird.
Great confusion h a s hitherto existed in regard to this
species, owing to Latham having given a figure (with
doubt) o f the Milvago leucurus, or Falco australis o f Grae-
lin, which h a s caused th a t b ird to be considered the Falco
Novæ Zealandiæ, b u t this is not the case. L ath am took
h is desc ription from the three figures o f Forster referred to
above. T h e sexes vary much in size, and th e adult specimens
o f each sex lose the transverse interrupted bands
on th e hack an d wings ; and become o f an uniform dark
chocolate black. T h e E x p ed itio n brought several specimens
o f this bird, both from New Zealand and Auckland
S. novm Seelandi®, Gmel. Syst. N a t. 2 9 6 : L a th . In d .
Orn. 65.
No c iu a Zcalandica, Quou e t Gaitn. Voy. de VAslrol
Zool. i. 168. Ois. t. 2 , / 1.
Brown, feathers o f nap e spotted with fulvous ; wing-
coverts, interscapulars spotted with white or uale fulvous ;
quills browm, spotted on th e outer webs with white and
b anded on the inner with greyish b row n ; tail brown,
b anded and tipped with the greyish brown; u nder tail-coverts
pale fulvous ; forehead and eyebrows streaked with
fulvous; round the bill w h ite ; throat and breast dark
Island, which enable me to identify the description and
drawings. Mr. Percy E a rl obtained specimens a t Otago,
brown streaked with fulvous; side feathers banded with
white.
Subfamily 2. Circimc.
C ir c u s a s s im il is .
Circus assimilis, J a rd . a n d Selby's III. Orn. p i. 51.
Goiild's B . o f Austr. pi.
Black brown, feathers o f th e h ead and b ack o f neck
broadly margined on tlie sides, and the tips o f those of the
back, rufous white ; greater wing-coverts silvery grey barred
with black ; quills black, with th e outer webs silvery
grey barred with b la c k ; tail-coverts white, marked on each
feather n ea r th e tip with a b a r o f rufous ; tail silvery grey
with six b a rs of brown black ; under surface rufous white,
marked down the middle of each feather with brown, esp
ecially on th e breast.
Female. Brown, with pale ed g e s; feathers of th e head
and back o f neck margined with ru fo u s ; quills and ter-
tials blackish brown, with the outer webs silvery brown ;
tail-coverts white with an irregular mark o f rufous on each
fe a th e r; tail silvery grey tinged with rufous, with six irregular
bands of dark brown, margined above and below with
rufous white, the silvery grey becoming rufous on the outer
fe ath ers; u nder surface rufous brown, margined on the
sides o f ea ch feather with rufous white ; under side o f tail
buff.
Young. Dark auburn brown, with pale edges ; back of
neck varied with white, slightly tinged with rufous ; upper
tail-coverts ru fo u s : under surface pale r th an the u p p e r ;
quills black.
Lengih, 1 foot 9 inches ; bill from gape, 1 inch 2 lines ;
wings, 1 foot 4 inches ; tarsi, 3 inches 5 lines.
Length o f female, 1 foot 11 in ch e s; b ill from gape, 1
in ch 7 1 in e s ; wings, 1 foot 4 f inche s; tarsi, 3 inches 9 lines.
The E x p ed itio n ’s collection contains three specimens of
th is bird, all marked as obtained in New Zealand.
T h e descriptions o f the male and of the yoting were ta ken
from specimens bro u g h t by Mr. Percy Earl. They
were shot a t Waikouaiti an d Otago, and were considered
ra re b ird s ; they are now deposited in the British Museum.
Length, 11 inches ; bill from gape, 10 lines ; wings, 8
in c h e s ; tarsi, 1 inch 5 lines.
F orsler gives Queen Charlotte’s Sound as the h ab itat of
this species, aud the name of Herooroo. Quoy and Gai-
mard’s specimen was taken in Tasman’s Bay, and they record
the native name as E o u Hou. Koii Koii, Kao Kao,
and R uru Ruru Imve been published as the names of these
birds by other authors.
Specimens o f this b ird were procured by the Expedition
during tlieir stay a t New Zealand.
A t h e n e a l b if a c ie s .
P la te 1.
Dark brown, each feather margined on the sides a t the
tip with fulvous ; quills and tertials brown, spotted on the
outer webs with white and marked on the inner with obsolete
b a n d s ; tail dark brown, with five bands and th e tip
of each feather mfous white ; forehead and cheeks white,
with the shaft o f each feather black ; tarsi covered with
white feathers slightly tinged with rufous ; toes covered
with scattered white hairs.
_ L ength, 1 foot in c h e s ; bill from gape, 1 inch 4 lines;
wings, 11 inches ; tarsi, 2 inches 5 lines.
_ The specimen formed p a rt of Mr. Percy E a rl’s collectio
n ; and is now deposited in the British Museum. It
was obtained a t Waikouaiti, South Is la n d ; where it was
known to the natives by the name of Wekaii. I t is supposed,
by Mr. P. Earl, not to exist in the North Island.
Family, A l c e d in id a ì .
Subfamily 1. Halcyonime.
H.ALCYON VAGANS.
P la te 1*.
Alcedo cyanea, Forst. Descr. Anim. p . 76, et Icon
ined. 59.
Sacred Kingfisher, L a th . Gen. S yn . ii. 612.
A. sacra, Gmel. Syst. N a t. i. 458 : Ix ith . In d . Orn. 251.
Halcyon sanctus i Vigors e t Horsf. L in n . Trans, xv. 206
A. vagans. Less. Voy. de la Coq. Zool. i. 694 : Id . Man
JO r n . ii. 89.
Crown o f the head, back an d wing-coverts deep sea-
green ; lower p a rt of back, tail-coverts, and a broad line
from the eye to th e h in d head, verditer-p-ceii; quills and
tail black, more or less margined with b rig h t blue ; broad
collar round th e neck white, slightly tinged with buff, and
some o f the feathers narrowly margined with black, which
colour also forms a h a lf collar both above and below the
white one ; breast and all the u nder surface rufous white,
the feathers of th e b re a st slightly margined with black.
Bill black, lower p art o f the under mandible white.
Total lengih, 9 | inches ; bill, 2^ inches ; wings 4 in ch es
i tarsi, 6 lines.
“ H a b ita t in insula Auslrali Nova; Zeelandia;, victilat
pisciciilis, helicibus, chamis e t cancris littore ab mslu mavis
re lic tis ; Forster.
The native name of this b ird has been variously given
by difi'crent authors, viz., Ghotarre, Kotorelare, Kotaritari,
Kotare-popo.
The E xpedition’s specimen ^
s marked as from the Bay
of Islands.
H a l c y o n c in n a m o m in u s .
Halcyon ciunaniominus, Swains. Zool. Ilb is tr. ii. pi.
67. Voy. de la Coqu. Zool. i. p. 696.
Delicate fawn colour; back, wings and tail changeable
blue green ; ears sea green and dusky, united to a na iTOtv
black nuchal collar.
Length, 10 in ch e s; bill from ga))e, 2 J in ch e s; wings, 4
inches.
This species was originally recorded by Mr. Swainson
as from New Zealand ; Mr. Gould considers it as an Australian
species ; while M. Lesson remarks th a t “ Cet oiseau
pavait habiter toutes les parties boveales e t orientales
de la Nouvelle Hollande, les îles de la Nouvelle Zélande,
de la Caledonie, des Hebrides, de Salomon, la Nouvelle
Guinée e t les Moluques.”
Family, U p c p id æ .
Subfamily 1. Upupinoe.
N e o m o e p h a G o u l d i i .
Neomorpha acutirostris, e t N. crassiroslris, Gould, Syn.
A u str. B ir d s : B ird s o f Australia, p t. i\\. jAN.
Gouldii, G. R. Gray, L is t o f Genera o f Bii-ds, 2tid
edit. p. 15.
Uniform black, glossed with green, with a broad band
of w hite a t th e end o f the tail. E a c h gape furnished with
a rounded orange wattle.
Length, 1 fool 9 j inches ; bill from gape, 4 inches 3
lines ; wings, 8 inches 3 lines ; tarsi, 3 inches 2 lines.
Lengih, 1 foot 7^ in c h e s ; bill from gape, 2 inches 3
lin e s ; wings, 8 in c h e s ; tarsi, 8 inches 2 lines.
Through mformalion furnished by a friend o f M r. Gould,
we learn that “ these birds, which the natives call E llia
(or Ilu ia ), are confined to the hills in the neighbourhood
of P o rt Nicholson [¿. e. the Torivua range o f m ountains],
whence the leathers o f the tail, whicli arc in great request
among the natives [being highly prized as ornaments for
the ear], are sent as presents lo all parts of the island.
The natives regard tho bird with the straight and stout
beak as the male, and the other as the female. In three
specimens shot this was the case, and both birds are a lways
together. These fine birds can only be obtained
with th e help o f a native, who calls them with a shrill and
long-continued whistle, resembling the sound o f the native
name o f the sjiecies. After an extensive jo u rn ey in the
hilly forest in search o f lliem, I had a t last the pleasure of
seeing four alight on the lower branches o f th e trees near
which the native accompanying me stood. They came
quick as lightning, descending from branch to branch,
spreading out the tail, aud throwing up the wings. T h e ir
food consists o f seeds an d insects. Of their mode of
nidification the natives could give no information. The
species is apparently becoming scarce, and will probably
soon be exterminated.” Gould's B ird s o f Australia.
Family, M e l i p h a g id ,e .
Subfamily, Meliphagiiice.
P r o s t h e m a d e u a n o v ^ S e e l a n d l e .
Certhia cincinnata, Forst. Descr. A n im . p . 78, el Icon,
ined. 61.
Poe Bee-eater, Tm Hi . Gen. S yn . ii. 682.
Merops nova; Seclandise, Ginel. Syst. N a t. 464.
M. cincinnata, L a th . In d . Orn. i. 275.
Sturnus crispicollis, Daud. Elem. d'Orn.
Meliphaga cincinnata, Temm.
Philemon cincinnatus, Vieill. E n cy . Mé ih . 613. Levaill
O) iiss.. dd ''AA ffrr .. jjHA.. 9922 ..
Bluish black, with shining green reflections, especially
n the lower pp aa rrtt ooff bbaacckk aanndd uu nnddeerr ttaaiill ccoovveerrttss ;; bbaacckk ooff
neck shining green, each feather curled and with a white
line down the shaft ; back bronze ; wings with a b an d of
white between the lesser and greater coverts ; th ro at ornamented
in front with two tufts of curly white feathers.
Lengih, 12^- inches ; bill from gape, 1 inch 3 lines ;
wings 6 inches 4 lin es; tarsi, 1 inch 5 lines.
“ H a b ita t ubique iu Nova; Zealand!® insulis, e t ab in-
colis appellalur Ròghee Etooec, e t quod incolse insularura
mavis pacifici vitreos globulos, pro collaribus usitatos Pòhe
appellare soleant, nauta; Angli hanc avem ‘the Polie B ird ’
nomiuarunt, quod plumae juguli cincinnata;, quandam in-
aurium vel globulorum vitreorum candidorum similitudi-
nem liabeant. Avis hsec plerumque gregaria est, ric tita t
insectis et flomin nectare ; cap ta pane e t saccharo. Imi-
tatrix, irrequieta, in arena pulveratus, in aqua se lavat,
pugnax, garrula, dulce canit voce fistulari. Volatu gravi
et streperò, ex arbore in arborem se jn-oripit, sestus imj;a-
tiens. Nidificai in fruticetis. Nidus ex virgultis minimis
et muscis ; ova p o n it plerumqiie quatuor.” Forster.
I t is the Toui and Tui o f the natives o f North Island.
“ In Janua ry,” says Mr. P. Earl, “ the P h o rm ium te n a x is
in full flower. The Koko, the name given to the bird by
the natives of the South Island, now h a s his fe ast; the
bird inserts his long hairy tongue into th e flower to extract
the korari or honey, of which it is very fond : a t this time
it is ensnared with great facility by the Maori boys.” Mr.
E a rl k ep t one alive for two months on nothing b u t sugar
and wa te r; he brought one to E ngland, b u t having had
liiin from the nest, he would re adily eat potatoes or rice
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